Title: Juvenile Delinquency Probation Caseload, 1989-
1998
Series: Fact Sheet
Author: Meghan C. Black
Published: September 2001
Subject: Juvenile courts, Adjudication juvenile cases
3 pages
5,000 bytes
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Juvenile Delinquency Probation Caseload, 1989-1998
by Meghan C. Black
More than one-third of delinquency cases resulted in
probation in 1998
Courts with juvenile jurisdiction handled nearly 1.8
million delinquency cases in 1998. Probation
supervision was the most severe disposition in about
38% (665,500) of all delinquency cases. The number of
cases placed on probation grew 56% between 1989 and
1998. During that time, the overall delinquency
caseload increased 44%. These findings are based on
national data on delinquency cases processed by
juvenile courts from 1989 through 1998. The national
estimates were generated using information
contributed to the National Juvenile Court Data
Archive. The analysis is based on data from nearly
2,100 jurisdictions containing almost 70% of the U.S.
juvenile population (youth age 10 through the upper
age of original juvenile court jurisdiction in each
State).
Probation can be court ordered or voluntary
Some youth are ordered to probation after being
adjudicated delinquent (analogous to being convicted
in criminal court). In contrast to court-ordered
probation, some youth who are not adjudicated
delinquent voluntarily agree to abide by certain
probation conditions, often with the understanding
that if they successfully complete their probationary
period, their case will be terminated without any
formal processing.
In 1998, adjudicated delinquents ordered to probation
(366,100 cases) accounted for more than half (55%) of
all delinquency cases placed on probation. In the
remaining delinquency cases (45%), the youth agreed
to some form of voluntary, or informal, probation.
The number of adjudicated cases that resulted in
court-ordered probation rose 73% from 1989 through
1998. In comparison, the number of cases that
resulted in informal probation increased 40%,
reflecting the trend toward more formal processing of
delinquency cases.
The demographic profile of probation cases changed
little since 1989
In 1998, 69% of cases placed on probation involved
white juveniles, 28% involved black juveniles, and 3%
involved juveniles of other races. Between 1989 and
1998, the probation caseload grew 57% for black
juveniles (from 119,800 to 187,500) and 56% for white
juveniles (from 293,600 to 458,400). Most cases (76%)
placed on probation in 1998 involved males (about
503,400 cases). However, the female share of the
probation caseload has grown in the last decade--from
18% in 1989 to 24% in 1998. Juveniles who were 14 to
16 years old accounted for 62% (about 410,600 cases)
of the probation caseload in 1998, up slightly from
61% in 1989.
Property offense cases made up the greatest
proportion of the probation caseload
The offense profile of the probation caseload has
changed somewhat since 1989. Property offense cases
continued to account for the majority of cases placed
on probation, but their share of the probation
caseload declined. For example, the proportion of
adjudicated cases that involved property offenses and
received formal probation as the most severe
disposition declined 14 percentage points between
1989 and 1998 (from 59% to 45%). As a result, the
profile of the formal probation caseload contained
greater proportions of person, drug, and public order
offense cases in 1998 than in 1989.
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For further information
This Fact Sheet is based on the forthcoming Report
Juvenile Court Statistics 1998, which will be
available on OJJDP's Web site (ojjdp.ncjrs.org). To
learn more about juvenile court cases, visit OJJDP's
Statistical Briefing Book (ojjdp.ncjrs.org/
ojstatbb/index.html) and click on "Juveniles in
court." OJJDP also supports Easy Access to Juvenile
Court Statistics, a Web-based application that
analyzes the data files used for the Juvenile Court
Statistics Report. This application is available from
the Statistical Briefing Book.
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Meghan C. Black, Esq., is a Research Assistant with
the National Juvenile Court Data Archive, which is
supported by an OJJDP grant.
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The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention is a component of the Office of Justice
Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice
Assistance, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the
National Institute of Justice, and the Office for
Victims of Crime.
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FS 200134